Treatment of propane



Patented Apr. l8, l

TREATMENT OF PROPANE Herman Pines and Vladimir N. llpatiefi, Chicago,

lll., assignors to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, IlL, a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application March 14, 1941, Serial No. 383,362

12 Claims. (Cl. 260-488) This invention relates to the conversion of octyl aldehyde as illustrated by Equations 6 and propane into valuable organic oxygen-contain- 7 which in the presence of aluminum chlorideing compounds. and nascent hydrogen (obtained by the action of In one specific embodiment the present invenan aluminum halide upon a hydrocarbon) yields i n prises a process for producing valuabl ,5 an octyl ketone as illustrated-by Equation 8. organic oxygen-containing compounds by react- (G) O OH CH: ing propane with carbon monoxidein the pres- I once of a catalyst containing a substantially an- CHHEEC when) CHTCHCH'CHO hydrous halide of aluminum. 1 CH3 H cm 11 on; on;

By the process of this invention' propane 0H which heretofore has been considered substantially unreactive with carbon-containing comcnrczcmcflo H2O pounds is converted into substantial yields'of CH3 i ketones, carboxylic acids, and esters by treat- (8) E ment with carbon monoxide in the presence of a 7 catalyst containing a halide of aluminum such CHHkCE'GHO H 'fi i ff as aluminum chloride or aluminum bromide CH3 CH3 CH3 0 p e b y in the presence of an added hydrogen The present invention is carried out in either halide as hydrogen chloride or hydrogen brobatch or continuous operation. When using a mide. Under suitable conditions of operation batch type of operation the propane, catalyst, ca bon mOnD de ea s With an q a e and hydrogen halide are charged toasuitable aumolecular proportion or more of propane to p 0- toclave, preferably provided with some means duc va ab e or a o y n mpounds as for agitation and the carbon monoxide is added herein set forth. thereto under a superatmospheric pressure of The aluminum halide catalyst as aluminum up to about 250 atmospheres as long as reaction chloride or aluminum bromide may be used as occurs as evidenced by consumption of carbon such or supported on a substantially inert carrier monoxide and a decrease in pressure. The ausuch as charcoal, diatomaceous earth, firebrick, toclave containing the reaction mixture is genetc. Also the aluminum halide may be composerally maintained at a temperature of from ited with one or more other metal halides of the about 0 to about 200 C. The introduction of Friedel-Crafts type such as the chlorides of I hydrogen to the reaction zone generally causes zinc, iron, zirconium, copper, etc. the reaction to be more selective and thus tends While the mechanism of the reaction between to inhibit the formation of relatively high boilpropane and carbon monoxide in the presence ing reaction products. The conditions of temof a catalyst as aluminum chloride is not underperature and pressure can be varied depending stood clearly or completely, it is suggested that upon the amount of hydrogen halide added to a number of intermediate compounds may be inthereaction mixture. Although the interaction volved in this conversion reaction. However, the of propane and carbon monoxide occurs when mechanistic concept as herein set forth is not to hydrogen chloride is not added, the initial vebe misconstrued as limiting the generally broad 40 locity of the reaction is substantially increased scope of the invention. Although not found in when hydrogen chloride is present in the prothe reaction products, it is suggested that isopane charged. Even though hydrogen chlobutyraldehyde is probably an important interride is not added to the reactants this material is mediate in the total reaction and that it is formed during the reaction by interaction of formed by interaction of propane and carbon ketones, aldehydes, etc., with aluminum chlov monoxide as illustrated by the following equaride to produce complex compounds from the tion: aluminum chloride or other aluminum halide catalyst.

CHTCECHS Such complex compounds of aluminum c'hlooHPom-om co -H 0 ride with the reaction products are decomposed Propane m l with ice and steam and distilled to separate the Isobut ldeh (1 formed orga'mc oxygen compounds o acidic y 8 material readily soluble in alkali, a mixture of A portion of said isobutyraldehyde is consid- Organic Oxygen p ds, and a relatively ered to undergo the so-called Cannlzarro reacheavy residue of y material.

tion to yield isobutyric acid and isobutyl alon The Qrgamc Oxygen o po nds formed accordhol, and these two substances undergo further ing to the process of this invention are valuable reaction to form isobutylbutyrate. The reproducts suitable for use in the synthesis of mainder of the isobutyraldehyde probably underhydrocarbons or of other organic compounds.

goes aldol condensation forming an unsaturated Ketones and esters of carboxylic acids formed by interaction of propane with carbon monoxide may be used as solvents. Alcohols may also be derived from ketones by hydrogenation.

The following example is given to illustrate the character of results obtained by the use of the present process although the data presented are from a selected case and are not introduced with the intention of unduly limiting the broad scope of the invention.

13.7 molecular proportions of propane, 9.0 molecular proportions of aluminum chloride, and 3.8 molecular proportions of hydrogen chloride were placed in an autoclave to which carbon monoxide was charged to a total pressure of 125 atmospheres. The autoclave and reaction mixture contained therein were heated at 80 C. and when, by reason of carbon monoxide consump tion, the pressure dropped to 80 atmospheres, the autoclave was recharged with carbon monoxide to a pressure of 125 atmospheres. After 12 hours of heating during which the autoclave was recharged 4 times with carbon monoxide, the reaction was substantially complete as evidenced by the fact that there was no further drop in pressure. verted propane was removed from the reaction mixture which was next poured upon ice to decompose the complex comprising essentially the reaction product and the aluminum chloride catalyst. In this reaction 497 parts by weight of propane reacted with 245 parts by weight of carbon monoxide in the presence of 1200 parts by weight of aluminum chloride. After hydrolysis with water about 600 parts by weight of organic reaction products were obtained from which 460 parts by weight of a steam distillate was separated. Treatment of the steam distillate with a 25% solution of sodium hydroxide removed 40 parts by weight of acidic material later recovered and identified as isobutyric acid. The major portion of the steam distillate separated from the reaction product (400 parts by weight) was insoluble in sodium hydroxide solution, distilled at 148-150 C., and consisted of a mixture of about of 2,5 dimethyl hexanone and 38% isobutylisobutyrate. The 2,5-dimethyl hexanone was identified by hydrogenation to 2,5-dimethyl hexane in the presence of a nickel catalyst at 175 C. Also about 60 parts by weight of organic oxygen compounds were obtained boiling from 100 to 230 C. under 7 mm. pressure leaving 100 parts by weight of a tarry residue probably consisting of high molecular weight condensation products.

The nature of the present invention and its commercial utility can be seen from the specifl cation and example, although neither section is intended to unduly limit its scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum.

2. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum at a temperature of from about to about 200 C.

3. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substan- Then 2.4 molecular proportions of uncontially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

4. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a. catalyst comprising essentially a composite of a substantially anhydrous halide oi aluminum and a substantially inert carrier at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

5. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising essentially a composite of a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum and another metal halide of the Frledel-Crafts type at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

6. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a catalyst comprising essentially a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum, another metal halide of the Friedel-Crafts type, and a substantially inert carrier at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C, under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

. '7. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of substantially anhydrous aluminum chloride at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

8. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of substantially anhydrous aluminum bromide at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250'atmospheres.

9. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a substantially anhydrous halide of aluminum in the presence of a hydrogen halide at a temperature of from about 0 to about 200 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres,

10. A process for producing valuable organic oxygen-containing compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of substantially anhydrous aluminum chloride in the presence of hydrogen chloride at a temperature of from about 0 to about 250 C. under a pressure of from substantially atmospheric to approximately 250 atmospheres.

11. A process for producing organic oxygencontaining compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of a substantially anhydrous aluminum halide and a hydrogen halide.

12. A process for producing organic oxygencontaining compounds which comprises reacting propane with carbon monoxide in the presence of substantially anhydrous aluminum chloride and hydrogen chloride.

HERMAN PINES.

VLADIMIR N. IPATIEFF'. 

